New Moon Rising
by I Forget
Summary: Candles have been burning faster than they were meant to. T&H are sent to find out why, and guide the souls to Meifu if necessary. They arrive to find the victims marked with a familiar curse and are horrified to discover that the victims... are children.


**A/N: **Hello! I just wanted to warn you that there is a somewhat graphic child-rape scene in this chapter, at the end. I have the entire plot worked out for this story; I just need to finish typing the story itself. I don't have a Beta-Reader, and if anyone is interested in Betaing for me, please e-mail me and I'll greet you with open arms. This is slightly AUish, but I'm trying to stick to cannon as much as I can. I'm sorry if the characterization is way off, I'm trying to avoid any OOCness. I'll welcome any criticism you give me, though flames will be laughed at and then ignored. This is based off of both the Manga and the Anime… mostly the Anime. Thanks for reading all of this, and I sincerely hope that you enjoy my story. Thanks for stopping by!

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**New Moon Rising**

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"A New Moon signifies a new beginning…"

The bedchamber was dark, with not even a single candle lit as a comforting relief to the blackness. Of all the furnishings in the darkened room, only the dim outline of a luxurious four-poster bed and its hangings can be seen. Within the confines of shadowy curtains, bed sheets remain turned down, the bed having remained unoccupied. Across from the bed, a massive window reveals a sky bright with stars. A man is standing by the window: his figure outlined by the night sky. He looks to where he knew the moon to be, though at this phase it cannot be seen. His manner is outwardly calm, but his eyes appear to be troubled, as their gazes remains fixed on the unseen.

"Whether this beginning be for something good, or something evil however…"

His eyes become unfocused as the view changes in his mind. He sees his room as though it was lit up in the sun's light, then the focus changes and he sees only the object residing on a small wooden table beside his bed: an unlit candle. A bittersweet smile stretches across his lips, recognizing the candle to be his own: a cruel reminder of his eternal fate. With a mental twist he frees himself from the Castle's grasp: his eyes focus on the dark moon once more.

"Only the future shall reveal what change the past shall bring."

* * *

**Prologue: Fading Light.**

"_No…"_

"_Please… don't…"_

"_It hurts… don't…"_

"_DON'T!"_

Blood splatters to the ground. A dark silhouette of an unclothed man rises from the form an equally darkened boy. Held casually by the man, a knife glistens in the light; a dark liquid stains its blade. The man smirks as the body before him fades away; engulfed by a white light.

"Soon."

* * *

Early morning light encompasses the peaceful sight of the Meifu. The buildings were intact, the Sakura blossoms danced in the whisper of a gentle breeze; delighting in their eternal bloom. It's a pity that peace is so often revealed to be nothing more than an illusion. A lone figure emerges from the main building, bringing with it an aura of irritation that shatters the calm hanging about the grounds.

"Tsuzuki! Hisoka! Meeting!" _Damn it, where are those two? Tsuzuki's one thing, but Hisoka's never late. _Tatsumi thought darkly as he searched for his wayward companions. He sees them in the boughs of a Sakura tree and stops, caught off-guard by the sight before him. Tiny sweatdrops form about his head as his mind slowly acknowledges what had apparently been the reason for his coworker's tardiness. Upon the lower branches, partially hidden by Sakura blossoms resides Hisoka and Tsuzuki, deeply asleep.

"TSUZUKI, YOU LAZY DOG! GET UP!" Tatsumi yelled. His eyes cross as a petal floats down, landing on his nose. He then looks up into the tree. His eyes narrow when he sees the couple still sleeping, apparently deaf to his rage. His left eye twitches as his anger rises. Clenching his right hand into a fist, he focuses his energy on one simple task. The shadow cast by the Sakura tree lengthens, solidifies, and swings; knocking the pair to the ground. Tsuzuki lands on top of Hisoka and they both open their eyes. At another time Tatsumi would have thought the combined dazed looks were adorable, but not now; he was far too irritated. "You're late." He stated calmly, as though he hadn't been enraged mere moments before.

Hisoka and Tsuzuki simultaneously look up, completely surprised. Hisoka blinks, then lunges to his feet; throwing Tsuzuki off him in the process. "Damn it, Tsuzuki! Why didn't you wake me up!" He yelled down at his partner.

Tsuzuki looked down at his fingers as though they were suddenly the most fascinating creation of all time. "Sorry, Hisoka. You were sleeping so peacefully. We still had time, so I thought I'd let you rest for a bit and ah… I guess I fell asleep." He mumbled.

Hisoka stared for a moment, then: "BAKA!" He yelled, pounding his fist on Tsuzuki's head.

"WAA! Soo mean…" Puppy Tsuzuki whines, tears streaming from his eyes.

"Meeting. Now." Tatsumi stated, showing no pity for Tsuzuki. Giving them The Look, he turned and started walking towards the main building, his entire attitude screaming that if they didn't follow, and do so now, they would not wish to live for long enough to face the consequences.

Tsuzuki and Hisoka watch him leave; their expressions blank. "…Cold," they state in unison, before moving to follow.

"The word from the Castle of Candles is that some Candles originating in the Kyoto area have started to burn at a faster rate than they are meant to. Tsuzuki, you and Hisoka are to discover why, and guide the souls to Meifu if necessary." Konoe instructed.

Tsuzuki instantly goes into puppy mode. "But… why us, Chief? That's not our area."

Konoe shrugged, unaffected by Tsuzuki's cuteness. "The Earl requested it. Something about a debt being paid…" He let the sentence die, the subtle threat hanging unspoken in the air.

Tsuzuki's puppy ears drooped down.

Hisoka raised a hand to his head, as though feeling a headache coming on. "Geez Tsuzuki! How much do you still owe that guy? For what!"

Tsuzuki tapped his chin, as though trying to remember a lengthy list. "Oh… this and that and this…" he mumbled. At this, everyone fell to the ground. Tsuzuki sweatdropped.

"Oi," Hisoka said, picking himself up. "Well, no help for it. Come on, Baka. The sooner we leave, the quicker we can get this over with." He walked towards the door, grabbing Tsuzuki by the ear as he passes, dragging him towards the exit.

"Ah, before you go." Tatsumi says. Hisoka stops dragging a wailing Tsuzuki and glances back over his shoulder. "The Earl thought it wise for you to have a third team member assisting you on this case. He said that the team member will meet up with you there. He also warns you not to startle this team member and says that physical contact is to be avoided. He didn't provide any other details. Understood?" Hisoka and a now serious Tsuzuki nod. "Good. You're dismissed. Oh, and Tsuzuki… remember, no more that thirty dollars per day." He adds, smiling sweetly. Tsuzuki pouts.

"Bye boys! Don't forget our souvenirs!" Everyone calls behind their backs.

After the duo is out of sight, a much more serious looking Tatsumi turns to Konoe. "Chief… are you sure it's alright? I mean, Kyoto…"

"Mm," Konoe grunted, sharing Tatsumi's concern.

"I trust Tsuzuki."

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Eternal Child**

"You know, one would think that after what happened last time they would provide a physical description, or a meeting place, or something." Tsuzuki stated.

"Un, it would certainly be convenient. Is there any place where we haven't looked yet?" Hisoka grumbled. He for one was not impressed with the notion of having to hunt for their unknown third party member.

Tsuzuki stopped walking, and gazes downwards, a sad look in his eyes. "Yes… we haven't checked the School…" He murmured softly, his mind travelling back to a time he would rather forget.

Hisoka winces, mentally hitting himself for asking. He opens his mouth to apologise, when he remembers something Watari had mentioned the last time they were there; a Grove of Sakura trees by a lake at the edge of town. Hisoka smiles, knowing that this will cheer Tsuzuki up. "Hey Tsuzuki, I think I know a place…"

The sun has just begun to set when they reach the lake; painting the clouds in brilliant shades of red in a golden sky. The step onto a path that winds through the Sakura Grove and instantly feel at peace with the world. The Grove is silent, as though no noise from the outside world is permitted entrance. Tsuzuki and Hisoka remain silent as they walk along the path, each enjoying the fragrant air and serenity the place offered. As they walk, a gentle tune graces their ears; steadily gaining in volume the further they walk. They enter the center of the Grove and look around, captivated by the simple beauty of the place. A gentle wind blows, sending Sakura petals throughout the air. In the middle of the cleared space, water gurgles within a fountain made of stone. Around the small clearing are natural looking benches of wood and rock. Through the curtain of petals, they can see a figure sitting on one of the benches beneath the boughs of a Sakura; this figure is the source of the music. The figure sees them and the music stops. The figure stands and walks over to Tsuzuki and Hisoka.

The first thing Tsuzuki notices is the figure's white hair. _Eh? They sent us a crazy old man?_

The first thing Hisoka notices is the figures unbelievable height… or lack of it. _A midget. They sent us a damn midget. Wonderful._

Then both their eyes widen in comic disbelief as the figure comes into full view and is seen clearly. "No way! A child?"

Tsuzuki notices something else odd about the child and gasps in astonishment. "Your eyes…"

Standing before them was a young child. She looked like she had been six or seven when she died. Her snow white hair was tinged with red from the light cast by the dieing sun and flowed down her back, ending at her waist. She was clad entirely in black; from her boots to her tank top. Around her waist was a silver belt; a set of silver pipes were fastened to her left hip. Fastened around her neck was a silver chain; a small red jewel shaped like a tear rested at the base of her throat. What had startled Tsuzuki about her eyes were their color; a deep amethyst and a perfect match to his own. The girl ignored both comments and bowed deeply; showing her respect.

"Greetings, respected elders. I apologise for not meeting you earlier; I had stopped here to rest and began playing my pipes… I'm afraid I lost track of the time" She said. She had a very soft, gentle, voice; Tsuzuki and Hisoka almost didn't hear her.

"Eh…? Ah, no, that's fine, Miss…" Tsuzuki trailed off, realising that she hadn't given her name.

"Sakura Aiko. It's nice to meet you Tsuzuki, Hisoka. I'm sure that you have many questions. Follow me; I'll take you to where we will be staying. Then we can go over the available details of this case in private." She turned away from the pair and looked at the clearing through narrowed eyes. Gradually, the Sakura petals faded until red and gold leaves were all that remained upon the Sakura boughs.

Tsuzuki's eyes widened in recognition; _Ah, an Illusion Weaver, that explains why the Sakuras had still been in bloom, though it's almost October. The Sakura trees are always in bloom at the Meifu, so I didn't notice the irregularity. _He watched as Aiko walked over to the bench she had been perched on earlier, and returned with a hooded black sweatshirt covering her form. Tsuzuki frowned; "That was careless. What if someone had seen that? Someone _alive_?"

Aiko blushed, more of her head disappeared into her hood. "I… gomen nasi. I'm still learning… the music made me feel calm and happy; my Illusions reflect how I feel. This place is so peaceful and isolated; it was easy for me to let my guard down. I lost control, gomen."

Tsuzuki's eyes narrowed. "If a little taste of serenity is all it takes for you to lose control, I fail to see how you will be of any use to us on this case."

At this, Aiko straightened.

Hisoka Felt her rage build up, Felt it as she prepared to lash out, and then… he Felt it as the rage was cut off, slain as swiftly as its birth.

Aiko's shoulders sagged, reassuming their humble place once more. Seeing that her lips were moving, Hisoka and Tsuzuki strained to hear her once more. "…normally I can keep my emotions under control, almost separate from myself. As long as I keep away from them, my Shadow Weaving remains completely under my control. It's usually only during times of great emotional stress that I lose control. Gomen nasi, I wont let it happen again."

Hisoka's eyes widened. _That last sentence sounded almost fearful, but I can't Feel her fear. She's right, she _does _have strict control over her emotions. _Then, his surprised look turned to one of speculation, his narrowed eyes telling any who knew him—like Tsuzuki—that his thoughts had changed, and that these new thoughts, he did not like. _This means that either that form of response has been ingrained into her since toddler hood, or she's manipulating us. _Hisoka vowed to keep a careful watch over their temporary new partner.

"Right then, shall we go to this mystery place where we are to be staying?" Tsuzuki said, with his most charming smile. Without waiting, he turned around to lead the way out of the grove. Hisoka moved to follow.

"Um… excuse me…" A hesitant voice said from behind them. They turned around, only to see that Aiko still hadn't moved a step in the exit's direction. "Our place is this way." And with that, she turned and started walking in the _opposite _direction. Seeing nothing but a wall of trees, Tsuzuki and Hisoka exchanged a confused glance before following Aiko to what looked to _them _like a dead-end. Aiko stopped at the base of one of the Sakura's, the largest tree there. She studied the bark for a moment, then grabbed a loose looking piece and pulled. As she pulled, a large chunk of bark followed, revealing a tunnel through the tree, and beyond the tunnel, a path. "Through here," she said, leading the way.

Tsuzuki had to duck his head slightly as he followed her, and Hisoka had an odd moment in which he found himself glad that he had died so young. _He _was having no problems fitting into the tunnel. The make-shift door closed behind him and soon they had exited the tree. Hisoka distastefully looked at the so-called path they were expected to follow. The path was littered with rotting underbrush and fallen leaves; it had an air of abandonment, as though it hadn't been used for a very long time. Aiko led the way, and as Hisoka followed he thanked whatever deity that was listening for the fact that it was too late into the year for mosquitoes. The group walked along the winding path, climbed over a massive tree that had fallen across their way at one point; apparently struck down by lightening. They crossed over a moss-covered stone bridge, a shallow stream gurgling merrily beneath it, rounded a bend, and gaped in open-mouth astonishment at the sight before their eyes. They were standing at the edge of a clearing, in the center of which was the largest Weeping Willow any of them had ever seen.

Hisoka turned wide, disbelieving eyes to Aiko. "You expect us to stay in a _tree?_"

"Erm, well, a tree _house, _actually. I've cleaned it up a bit, so it's not _too _bad, on the inside." She walked over to an area beside one of the leafy branches and began tugging on--what Tsuzuki and Hisoka saw as they drew closer--a rope. As she pulled, the foliage was pulled back, like a curtain, revealing the heart of the massive Willow. At various intervals along the trunk were hollow groves and gnarled stumps, as if the tree had been engineered for climbers. At the base of the tree, slightly to the left of the natural ladder, was a flat-topped slab of rock. Covering the packed-earth floor was several rugs in multitude shades of moss-green. Aiko moved over to the rock, took off her shoes, and placed them on the slab. Tsuzuki and Hisoka, taking the hint, followed her example somewhat reluctantly; _they _didn't know what creatures might be lurking in those rugs, nor how long those rugs had been there, and frankly, didn't want to be the ones who found out.

Tsuzuki contemplated the rug beneath his feet for a moment, and found that he couldn't pin point what the material was. It felt spongy, but was fuzzy and soft at the same time; he had never felt anything quite like it. He heard an odd growling sound, almost like a cat's purr, and turned his head in time to see the leaves forming one of the walls sway: as though something had gone through.

"What in the heck is that thing!" Hisoka exclaimed.

Tsuzuki turned around and saw Aiko holding what looked to him like a vibrating ball of fluff. He was somewhat unsurprised to learn that _this _was the source of the purring he had heard earlier. Aiko looked up at them, and smiled her first _real _smile as she explained, "this is BonBon. My teacher—he's the one who made this place and is letting us use it—created him by accident. He affectionately dubbed the species as 'Whoopsez' because of that. BonBon is the only one of his kind though, as my teacher died soon after his creation, and BonBon refused to leave the tree clearing. BonBon is the reason why you wont see many bugs in this clearing; he eats them. Hibernates too… ah, sorry for going on like that."

"No, it's ok." Hisoka reassured her.

The white ball of fluff turned to face them, and locked gazes with Tsuzuki: his eyes were violet, though of a darker shade than Aiko and Tsuzuki's. Then he leapt from Aiko's arms towards Tsuzuki, whom hastily caught it at about knee-height. He looked up at Tsuzuki.

"_Bonbon!" _He cued, his coat changing from white to a deep chocolate brown.

"Creepy!" Tsuzuki cried, almost dropping the poor creature.

Aiko giggled. "Don't worry, he likes changing colors. You'll see him do that often."

The fluff ball turned, this time locking gazes with Hisoka. Hisoka _felt _his intention, and was ready to catch him when he took off. BonBon looked up at Hisoka, and Hisoka could _feel _the creature's pleasure, his joy at having company.

_Bonbon!" _He cued, this time changing his fur to a light brown, and his eyes to emerald green.

"Oh! CUTE!" Tsuzuki cried, leaping over to Hisoka and petting the Whoopsez.

"Be careful of his horn." Aiko warned. She walked over to Hisoka and cautiously parted some of the fur slightly above the center of his eyes, revealing a sharp black horn, roughly an inch long. "This is what he uses for defence, as well as to hunt larger prey. I'm warning you now, because one of his favourite scents in the world is morning breath, and having a horn jabbed into your body is not a pleasant thing to wake up to, even with accelerated healing."

Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully, and then another smile graced her lips. It wasn't as open as it had been when she introduced them to BonBon, but it was still considerably warmer than the polite smile she had first greeted them with. "Wait here, I'll be back soon and then I'll give you the grand tour." Without waiting for a response, she walked through one of the leaf curtains and quickly was out of sight.

Tsuzuki turned to Hisoka, his expression completely serious once more. "Well?"

Hisoka sighed, his hand absentmindedly continuing to stroke BonBon, much to the little creature's delight. "I don't know… I can't Feel her emotions at all. Well, I can, but I have to concentrate very hard, and even then I can only sense them dimly, as though they're far away. I don't understand, why would anyone need to learn such strict control? Especially so young…"

A thoughtful look crossed Tsuzuki's face. "Can you think of no reason, Hisoka? What if she had had the ability to Weave Illusions since birth, like your Empathy? Add to that her violet eyes…"

Hisoka's eyes widened. "They would think her to be a demon!"

"And with her Illusions so strongly connected to her emotions…"

"She would _need _such tight control. But Tsuzuki… you seem pretty certain that that's the case. Why?"

Tsuzuki looked into Hisoka's eyes, his own full of the wisdom and understanding that he rarely chooses to show. "Can't you tell, Hisoka? The stance of one expecting punishment? The too quiet voice, as though fearful of being hit for speaking too loud? The way that she flinches when a hand is raised close to her face? How when I raised my voice, she made herself appear to be smaller. Hisoka, all of this screams to anyone who can read body language that she has been abused for a long time."

Anything else that might have been said would have to wait until later, as the object of their speculation chose that moment to reappear. Carefully held in her hands was a jar full of fireflies, which she was using to light her way. "Sorry I took so long. Come on, I'll give you that tour now." She placed the jar on the rock with their shoes, and motioned for them to follow her through one of the curtains.

Hisoka wondered why she hadn't taken the jar with her, but had his questioned answered as he stepped through the curtain behind her.

"Oh… pretty. Aiko, what are these?" Tsuzuki asked.

Hovering at various places around the room, odd looking creatures were emitting multi-coloured lights. Their combined glow provided enough illumination to see in the dark, the sun having fully set.

"These little beauties are a result of one of teacher's experiments. He wanted to see what would happen if he fused a spider and a firefly with his own blood. They were the result. You can't tell now, but they each have eight fingers and eight toes. There's also a bulb on their backs full of silk, like what spiders have. It looks like they're flying, but in truth they're just clinging to things, or dangling from a piece of thread. They sleep in their webs during the day, and hunt and play games at night. Sometimes they even dance. The light they emit is their way of communicating: if you look closely, you can see the way it pulses. They got the human body from the DNA in his blood; imagine his surprise when they all turned out to be female. He dubbed their species as 'Feyresa' after he saw the… odd, way that they dance."

Tsuzuki nodded, moving to take a closer look at one of the hand-length creatures. BonBon chose that moment to decide that he had been given enough attention, and also deciding that he liked Hisoka, climbed up him arm to rest on his shoulder. Hisoka tore his attention away from the Feyresa and examined the room.

This section was apparently meant to be a crude kitchen. The floor here was just packed earth. Hisoka smelled water, and followed the scent to its source. To the right of where they had walked in, going along the leaf curtain behind it, was what at first glance looked like a long, waist high, rock. Closer inspection however, revealed where the hands of man had made some improvements on nature. Two inches off the ground, someone, probably Aiko's teacher, had carved hollow spots into the rock, which solidified at a spot just above his knee caps. These hollow spots were being used as improve shelves: the set to the right was holding cooking utensils, and the spot to the left had cleaning supplies. The top of the shelves also had three sections carved into it, or one long section rather, dividable by wooden slabs. The first section was covered by another slab of wood, which Hisoka lifted and revealed where the water smell was coming from. The section was full of water, and had a variety of perishable foods contained within it, sealed in plastic bags: a crude fridge.

Hisoka turned to where the tree trunk was, and saw how once again it looked as though it had grown with designs for man in mind. The trunk had several hollow places grown into it, which were being used as more shelves, containing eating utensils and non-perishable food stuffs. There was one hollow spot on the ground however, that was not being used for food. It contained a small cushion instead. Seeing the cushion, BonBon emitted an excited chirp, climbed off Hisoka's shoulder, and curled up upon it. Hisoka smiled, apparently, the cushion was BonBon's bed.

Hisoka frowned thoughtfully, and turned to Aiko. "Where are we supposed to cook? I don't see any place for a fire."

Aiko smiled, and motioned for Hisoka to follow her. She walked to the end of the rock Hisoka had observed and pointed. Hisoka looked to where she had pointed and saw that the curtain ended there. He stepped through the gap, and saw another, smaller, room. To the side closest to where they had entered the kitchen he saw a channel dug into the dirt, presumably where the dirty dish water was to drain away. In front of him was a shoulder high pile of wood, with an axe jutting out of a thick stump next to the pile. In the center of the room was a fire pit, next to which were a metal bucket and a pair of steel tongs. Hisoka turned back to Aiko.

"What are the bucket and tongs for?"

"The fire pit is lined with rocks. You use the tongs and bucket to move the hot rocks. These rocks are then used to heat up the cold water for cleaning dishes, or if you want a hot bath."

"Oh… bath?"

"Come on, I'll show you."

She led them through the curtains, and into another Feyresa-lit room. This room had a path made of stone slabs along it, which led into what looked like a giant bush: the sound of gurgling water could be heard from within. The stone path was laid out in a curving 'T' shape, with one part heading into the bush, and the other to another curtain of leaves. The path was lined with knee-high bushes. Two small apple trees grew at the entrance and exit of the path: one on either side of the path. More shelf-like hollows had grown into the trunk, containing bathrobes and thick towels. Beyond the bushes wild grass grew, providing a thick green blanket to the scenery.

Aiko looked back at them. "Please don't walk through the grass: that's where the Feyresa like to gather for dances. It's also where the mites live, which is what the Feyresa eat."

She led them up the part of the path leading to the giant bush and stopped. She pointed to the side of the bush, where a sign stood partially hidden by the wild grass. "That's the privacy sign: place it at the bottom of the steps when you're taking a bath, so that no one will accidentally walk in on you."

She stepped aside, and motioned for Hisoka and Tsuzuki to go through. They climbed up the three stone steps, and gasped at the simple beauty of the place. In the center of the bush was the source of the small stream they had crossed over earlier. A set of stone steps circled down into a basin before them: the steps apparently were also meant to be used as seats. The floor of the basin was covered with sand, which had clear spring water pushing up from the center. The opposite side of the basin was lower than the side Tsuzuki and Hisoka were standing on: Water flowed over the lower edge. Off to their left, a much smaller basin was carved into the pool before them: a slab of raise-able wood prevented the water from flowing in. This apparently was what they were to use for a hot bath. To their right, Hisoka saw another metal bucket and assumed that this was what they were to use to carry water to the sink. Aiko stepped up beside them, and pointed over to the tub.

"There's a small ledge around the rim: there's hollow spots carved into it, covered with pieces of bark weighed down with stones. Inside those hollows, you'll find sponges, facial cloths, shampoo, and soap. Now, if you're ready, I'll bring you to the second last part of our tour, where we can go over the details on the case."

Tsuzuki and Hisoka nodded. Aiko led them to the curtains opposite of where they had entered. This section was apparently meant as a lounge. Feyresa provided more light, and the floor was covered with more of the rugs they had seen in the first section. Off to the farthest side, a flat rock slab rested atop two thick rock pillars, forming a crude table: a thin version of the rugs formed a parody of a table cloth. On either side of the table were two long slabs of stone, each about as high as Hisoka's knees. The tree trunk once again provided the place with shelves, though this time they were covered with books. In the middle of the room was another rock table, though it was much smaller than the other one. Between the leaf-wall and the table, facing the trunk, was a large rock, with plush cushions covering its surface: the cushions were the same shades of green as the rugs had been. To both the left and right side of the table were smaller rocks, also covered in cushions. Aiko led them over to this area, sat on the center rock, and motioned for them to take the other seats.

"Well, here's what I know. The first incident appears to have happened September second, on the night of the New Moon. The second seems to have happened one week later. The third occurred the following week, the night of the Full Moon. The Earl had been wandering the Castle at this time, unable to sleep because the moonlight had been so bright. He noticed that something was off, but couldn't tell what it was. He then began to keep watch at night, hoping for a clue to help him find what was wrong. Precisely one week later, The Earl's vigilance was rewarded. He watched as a young healthy Candle shrank rapidly, its flames dimming to the brilliance of that on par with a sickly oldster. That's all." Aiko said, spreading out her arms slightly.

Hisoka blinked. "That's it?"

Tsuzuki turned to him. "Actually, compared to past cases, that's a lot of information. We know that whatever it is only happens once a week, and that the victims are most likely always children. There can't be that many schools for young children here, so we just need to ask around. And there's only one hospital. Getting more information on this case should be a piece of cake." He finished, with an optimistic smile on his face.

Hisoka thought that there was no way things were going to be that easy, and was opening his mouth to verbalize that thought, only to have a yawn emerge instead.

"Maybe more answers will come to you after you've slept for a while. I'll show you to where we'll be sleeping." Aiko stood, and led them through another curtain. The first thing Hisoka noticed was the dimness, followed by the jar of fireflies from earlier: they were back at where they started.

Tucking the jar securely under one arm, she climbed up the trunk: Tsuzuki and Hisoka followed. What she led them to was the first fully man-made part of the tree: a loft. "The leaves divide this into six small sections: we can each use two. One of the two sections will have an air mattress with blankets, the other I recommend you use for storage. There's an outhouse a short walk away if you need it: just leave through the main entrance and follow the trail of white stones. Goodnight." She said, walking through the curtain to the right. Shortly after she left, a line of fireflies flew from where she had exited, and clung to various leaves around them.

Tsuzuki and Hisoka stepped through the curtain to the left. They found an air mattress there, with a chest at the head of it. The tree trunk was at the foot of the bed: Hisoka noticed more of the shelf hollows grown into it. "I'll take the next bed. Goodnight, Hisoka." Tsuzuki said, and with half of the fireflies following, walked through the next set of curtains.

Hisoka dropped his backpack, wearily stripped down to his boxers, and crawled into his bed: he was asleep before his head hit the pillows.

* * *

Miles away in a cabin hidden deep within the woods, bleary innocent eyes opened. First they appeared to be dazed, then they widened in panic as the mind realized that its body was naked, and unable to move. A hand reached out of the darkness and cupped one soft round cheek: a parody of tenderness.

"_Momma, I want momma!" _The high-pitch voice of a frightened child rang out.

Cruel laughter followed.

"Don't worry; you'll see your mother again soon." A male voice crooned, his tone that of mock comfort.

A head loomed down and the child felt hot breath brush against his ear.

"As soon as I'm finished with you, that is." A gentle whisper: a cruel intent.

The child felt a hand glide up his inner thigh; he trembled. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew that it wasn't right. Something about this man terrified him. He began to struggle, desperate to escape from this cruel man. The hand moved from his thigh to an area that suddenly felt a lot more personal: he froze.

"I'm not finished with you yet." The cruel voice said.

The boy felt the man above him move. He sensed something, something huge, approaching a place where it was not meant to be. The feeling of _wrongness _grew stronger the closer that _thing _got to him. Then, there was no time for thought, only reaction, as he felt an intense pain like that he had never felt before. His back arched up as he tried to get away from that horrible thing that was causing him so much pain. The hand moved from his cheek to his shoulder: forcing his body to remain still as the pain penetrated deeper and deeper. Lips, soft and gentle yet hard and cruel, descended onto his own; a fat tongue forced its way into his mouth and down his throat: choking him. With this harsh kiss came the feeling of release, and suddenly the pain burning within him doubled. The tongue was withdrawn from his mouth, and his tongue was sucked into another's mouth. Teeth bit into the tender muscle and blood gushed out, promptly being swallowed by the man. The boy's tongue was release, and the man bit into the boy's lower lip. He suckled on it for a bit, like a newborn feeding off its mother's tit, then released it. Hot breath once again brushed across the boy's ear: though he was in so much pain that he scarcely felt it. A hot, wet, blood-coated tongue licked the small earlobe.

"Scream for me." A harsh, lust-filled voice commanded.

Feeling the tightness around his vocal chords loosen at the man's words, the boy threw his head back, and screamed. Cruel laughter mingled and danced with the agonized cries, as crimson blood poured and gushed, staining and dying the white silk covering the bed.

The screams were abruptly cut off: the child now lay limp on the bed. His eyes were closed, his breathing shallow: he had passed out from the pain. The man pulled a small glass bottle from the confines of a black briefcase, and filled it with the sticky blood seeping from the child's entrance. He then placed a rubber stopper in the mouth of the bottle, and stored it within the case once more.

The man smiled, cruel satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.

"Two more. Just two more and then… then, you'll be mine. Saki."


End file.
